Are American soldiers in Iraq dying due to depleted uranium?

[Guest guest]

Are American soldiers in Iraq dying due to depleted uranium?

By James Conachy

4 August 2003

 

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/du-a04.shtml

 

 

The office of the US Army Surgeon General informed the media July 31 that

teams of medical specialists have been dispatched to both Iraq and the

Landstuhl military hospital in Germany to investigate why a pneumonia-like

condition is striking down American military personnel who took part in the

invasion of Iraq. At least 100 soldiers have been hospitalized with severe

respiratory problems since March 1. Fifteen have been so ill they have

required ventilator support to stay alive. Two have died, while three

reportedly remain under close supervision at Landstuhl.

 

Three of the critical cases occurred in March, three in April, two in May,

three in June and four in July. Fourteen were Army personnel and one was

from the Marines. A localized epidemic has been ruled out. The troops who

have fallen ill belong to diverse units and were operating in different

areas of Iraq and in at least one case in Kuwait. An Army official told

reporters: “It is pneumonia. The question is, what is the cause?” According

to the Army, there is no evidence that any of the cases have been caused by

exposure to chemical or biological weapons, severe acute respiratory

syndrome (SARS) or environmental toxins.

 

It is not the number of cases that is concerning the military hierarchy.

According to the spokesperson of the US Army Surgeon General, there are

normally nine cases of pneumonia per 10,000 US soldiers per year that are

serious enough to require hospitalization. Based on that statistic, 100

cases of pneumonia in five months among the several hundred thousand army

and marine personnel who were involved in the war on Iraq are only slightly

higher than average.

 

The dispatch of the experts therefore raises disturbing questions. There is

clearly something about either the nature, or the severity, of the cases the

Army Surgeon General feels warrants investigation.

 

On July 16, the News-Leader site operating out of Springfield, Missouri

published a detailed report describing the symptoms of one of the soldiers

who has died from the alleged pneumonia. Josh Neusche, a 20-year-old, fit

and healthy Missouri National Guardsman, collapsed in Baghdad on July 2. He

was evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany. His family was informed he was

suffering from pneumonia caused by fluid in his lungs. According to his

mother, his liver, kidneys and muscles then began to break down. He was

placed on dialysis, but fell into a coma and died on July 12.

 

For anyone familiar with the research into the medical effects of exposure

to depleted uranium, the details of Josh Neusche’s death would have to ring

alarm bells. The 2001 World Health Organization report into the issue notes:

“Brief accidental exposure to high concentrations of uranium hexafluoride

has caused acute respiratory illness, which may be fatal.” [Full report

available at http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/pub_meet/ir_pub/en/]

 

Scenarios that could cause a “brief, accidental exposure to high

concentrations of uranium hexafluoride” definitely would include being in

the vicinity of a vehicle or building struck by depleted uranium munitions;

traveling in or being in the vicinity of a vehicle that is armored with

depleted uranium and sustains damage; or being involved in the cleanup of

such a vehicle. The organs most affected by exposure are the lungs and

kidneys.

 

In a July 30 article on US casualties in Iraq, the World Socialist Web Site

reported the unconfirmed allegation in the July 17 Saudi newspaper Al-Watan

that three US servicemen had been evacuated from Iraq suffering symptoms of

depleted uranium exposure.

 

The WSWS noted that if this proved true, it would not be surprising.

Thousands of US troops in Iraq are likely to have been exposed to DU to some

degree, absorbing it either by inhaling contaminated dust or ingesting it

from contaminated water, food and soil. Initial estimates are that between

100 and 200 tons of DU munitions were used in Iraq and that at least 17

incidents took place during the combat phase that would most likely have

resulted in US and British personnel being exposed to high concentrations of

DU particles. [see http://www.antenna.nl/~wise/uranium/pdf/duiq03.pdf]

 

On July 28, as part of the research for the July 30 article, “America’s

maimed come home from Iraq,” this WSWS correspondent submitted a list of

questions to the US Department of Defense, addressed to

media. One of the specific questions we asked of the

Department of Defense was: “Have any US military personnel been medically

evacuated from Iraq due to the possible side-affects of exposure to depleted

uranium?” To date, the WSWS has received no reply.

 

See Also:

America’s maimed come home from Iraq

[30 July 2003]

Another US war crime: the use of depleted uranium munitions in Iraq

[29 May 2003]

Ongoing consequences of the Gulf War: Casualties increase from use of

depleted uranium

[8 September 1999]

Depleted uranium weapons used in Balkan War expected to cause thousands of

fatal cancers

[5 August 1999]